Solitary Ground
by DreamingPoet1988
Summary: After years of living at odds with each other, the vampires got organized and decided that shifters should serve them - or die. They attacked shifter territories without warning, also killing any and all humans who were living within the shifter territories. Most shifters didn't stand a chance. Full SUmmary inside... SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**Solitary Ground**

**AN: I own nothing… BIG thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic!**

**SUMMARY: After years of living at odds with each other, the vampires got organized and decided that shifters should serve them - or die. They attacked shifter territories without warning, also killing any and all humans who were living within the shifter territories. Most shifters didn't stand a chance. Since most had only ever dealt with one or two nomad vampires at a time, they could not stand against a full army. Only a small group of wolf shifters were able to get away. And there's now talk that cat shifters have banded together. Most of them were able to stay hidden away from the vampires, as they had lived for years in small groups of less than five. Now a new war is beginning… Edward vamp / Jasper cat shifter Fic...**

**Honoring a Treaty**

**Sam POV-**

The floor is cold and stained with blood as I sit here unmoving. I can't take my eyes off my fallen pack mate. As Alpha, it is my job to protect my pack, yet I had to watch helplessly as our master killed Brady, one of our youngest. I had to stare at Brady's pleading eyes as I'd fought my restraints to get to him, to somehow protect him, but I was unsuccessful. Even my wolf has abandoned me, preventing me from shifting. The leeches have done something to me, to us shifters; I just wasn't sure how they took away our ability to shift. How they stripped us of half of who we are. That was what angered me the most, the confusion and empty feeling of not being able to feel something that's been a part of me for over five years.

I'm not even sure that there is a pack anymore. We've been captured and sold as slaves to the vampires, who are hell bent on either destroying or breaking us. So far, I wasn't sure which they had done to me. As Alpha, it has destroyed me to be taken from my pack, to watch Brady be tortured. It has broken me to be helpless; I wasn't meant to feel that way.

The pain I felt from the death of my brother outweighed that of my arm, which was bent at a strange angle. It was the first punishment he had tried, in an attempt to make me submit to him. I tried to get myself just to bend to his will and protect my brother; I just couldn't get my wolf to do it. No matter what, there was nothing I could've done to submit. I don't sleep as I watch the sun rise from the small window, bringing with it a new day.

"Be at peace my brother," I whisper into the room, hoping his soul will see the light and find the peace he well deserves.

"Hear that Caius?" my master's voice says, right before the door swings open. "He thinks there is peace for them beyond here. The stupid pup has much to learn still."

I do my best to ignore his evil laugh as he walks towards me and unchains me from the wall. Finally, I'm free of the wall and able to move, but I am stopped short from going to my brother. Not even allowed to say goodbye to him, I refuse to look away as I'm pulled out of the room by a leash attached to my collar, just like the animal he treats me as.

"No, you worthless piece of crap, you are coming with me. Since you allowed yourself to get damaged, I have to take you to a vet." I give my brother one last look as Master pulls me out of the room, crawling the best I can with one useless hand. It is my fault Brady was killed - if I had just swallowed my pride and listened, Master wouldn't have killed Brady. I have to believe he's at peace; it's the only thing keeping me sane right now.

"Get in!" Master yells, as he pulls me closer towards his car. I didn't even notice we had left the mansion and was in open air. Trying my best not to hit my hand, I climb in, kneeling on the floor of the car as Master gets in.

My heart begins to pound as I wonder what the vet will be like. I've heard stories from other shifters who were taken to the vet, and raped in order to pay for their visit. Master has done plenty to me and my body, but has yet to do that. Thankfully, he prefers a woman's touch.

I don't know how long it takes us, but all too soon we are parked and I am ordered to get out, my nerves unraveling more as I notice the name of the Veterinarian's office: E. Cullen… That name is so familiar, but I can't place it, as I'm led inside by that damn leash. At least this time he allows me to walk.

"Now you be good and stay quiet, I don't need you to be talking." Master sneers as the door opens.

**Edward POV-**

I run my hand through my hair for the hundredth time today as I watch the incoming and outgoing shifters, all in bad shape. I can't save them all, and unless their masters offer to sell them, there is nothing I can do to help them.

"Sir, there is a Mr. Aro here demanding that you see him," one of my office assistants, Angela, says over my intercom, interrupting my thoughts.

"Thank you. Please show him into room two," I say, before standing from my desk. It's disgusting what my kind can do to others, I hated having to see it every day. However being here means that I'm able to do some amount of good... that I can make up for being a monster.

"Aro, what seems to be the problem?" I ask as I walk into the room, grabbing a clip board with Aro's information on it.

"My pet here hurt himself, the useless creature." He practically yells the last bit as he kicks the shifter kneeling at his feet.

With a quick look, I notice the wolf is doing his best not to put any pressure on his left hand. By the way the bones are practically sticking out I know Aro had to have done it himself. He just won't take responsibility for his own actions.

"Yes, I see that, Aro," I say, trying to stay calm. "This may take a while. Why don't you go into our visiting area and let me deal with this?"

"Good, I have a few things to do anyway. I'll just come back later. I assume you have kennels; just put him in one of those once you are done with him." I do my best to ignore his thoughts of what I can do with his "pet".

I breathe a sigh of relief as he leaves. The wolf doesn't even move as I approach him. Reaching out to his mind, I see he is in shock from the death of a pack mate. Wolf shifters are so connected through their pack bound that even in human form they can physically feel it when a brother is lost.

"Sam?" I gently call out as I kneel before him, waiting for him to look at me. Since shifters were taken as slaves, my family and I have been searching for the Quileute pack. Our treaty with them states that one day our alliance will be the meaning between life and death. It was Ephraim's young wife at the time who convinced him to sign a treaty with us, explaining a vision she had seen. Val, Ephraim's wife, even shared her vision with Alice. After that, we have kept our eyes out for the time the treaty would need to be honored. We've never met this pack, but know each of their names from information their elders have sent us every time a new wolf joined the pack. It is that information that will help us find them.

When we received news of vampires capturing shifters, Carlisle and Esme went to the council and tried to rebel against it. Not even Alice saw it coming. All we got back from them was ash. They were killed for trying to stop this blood bath the vampires were making of shifters. By the time the rest of us made it to Washington, the entire tribe had either been wiped out or scattered into the nearby town of Forks and the shifters gone. Alice and her mate Riley ended up buying half of the land and I bought the other half, knowing we would look for the wolves. Now, here one sat right in front of me. After months of us searching, the alpha and oldest of the pack practically falls right into my lap.

_Why is he trying to talk to me?_ Sam's thoughts asked, as he nervously shifted from knee to knee. With a heavy sigh, I stand and walk over to the cabinets to get everything I need to give him a thorough check-up. It's been five months since they were taken. Looking at Sam, I can tell those five months have threatened to break him. _All I want is my hand to be healed. I'm already going to die; I know he'll kill me eventually. I just need to take Aro down with me, to avenge my brother. _Sam's sudden thoughts surprise me and I almost drop the rag I have grabbed. _Though I need to first figure out how they are stopping me from shifting. Once I can shift, I can take Aro on. _

_Maybe he's not as broken as I originally thought..._I think to myself, before turning towards Sam with my supplies. I know exactly how the shifters are being controlled. Jane, the little devil, came up with a small chip, almost like those that humans designed for animals; only hers prevents a shifter from phasing, instead of holding information. With just a small drop of the shifter's human blood added into it, and it must be blood from that shifter and no other, it prevents them from shifting. It does not even allow them to feel their other halves, or heal as they would if they were able to change. I had taken months studying this chip, and come up with one of my own. As vampires, we are able to smell the small amount of blood inside the chip implanted into the shifter's shoulder. My invention will use animal blood it will fool others of my kind into thinking the shifter can't phase, when in reality he will be able to.

"Sam, please stand and take a seat on the exam table so that I can get a closer look at your arm," I say, trying to stay calm. He has shown no signs of knowing me, so I must be careful not to shock or scare him, in his already fragile state. 

Slowly, I watch him stand and do as I ask. It is almost painful to watch an Alpha look so broken. Not once has he looked up towards me; not once has he attempted to do anything other than what I've asked.

I am quiet as I gently look over his hand. Softly, I poke and prod, realizing the bone has not just been broken, but shattered. This is what has stopped it from healing correctly. Unfortunately, there isn't much I can do, not here. There is no way to make it perfect again, and to fix it to where it is usable again is way too painful to put Sam through without his consent.

I attempt to stay calm as I put my supplies away. There is nothing I can do at this time to help.

"I'm sorry about your hand, Sam," I whisper to him, as I lead him to our holding room.

_Why is he apologizing, and how does he know my name? _His thoughts ring through my mind.

"I'm going to try to help you," I whisper, before locking him into a kennel. "Please think, Sam, try to remember. My name is Edward Cullen. I'm going to try to help you, I promise."

**Sam POV-**

_Edward Cullen…. Edward Cullen… Edward Cullen…_

His name rolls around and around in my mind after he leaves.

The name is so familiar. It pulls at my memories, but I can't go there; I can't remember a time when my people were free. The pain of it is just too raw.

_Edward Cullen… Edward Cullen… Edward Cullen…_

I sit there in a kennel for what seems like hours. Waiting to see what will happen. Master will be furious to learn my hand will remain useless; maybe he'll even kill me. That's what I want, isn't it?

_Edward Cullen… Edward Cullen… Edward Cullen…_

Suddenly, it hits me like water flowing over a dam.

Cullen is the surname of the so-called friendly vampire family the last Alpha, Ephraim Black, made a pact with.

Edward Cullen made a treaty with my ancestors, I suddenly realize. Was it possible that Ephraim had been correct and maybe this Cullen will be willing to help?

I attempt to calm my rapidly beating heart as Edward Cullen walks back into the room.

"Please kill me?" I beg, looking up into his eyes, the light golden color surprising me.

"I'm going to try to help you, Sam," he whispers to me with a smile, before leading me out of the kennel.

I want to believe him; his golden eyes look so kind. But how can I even think to believe a vampire? They did this to us! They've got it in their minds that they are better than the rest of us. They were the ones to attack us when we didn't expect it; they weren't even kind enough to kill us. No, they had to enslave us. I cannot, nor will I, believe this Edward Cullen. I'll just wait out my time and strike when Aro least expects it. I will get my revenge for what he did to my brother, for what they did to all of us.

"Well, Mr. Cullen, is he useless then?" my master sneers, probably noticing a lack of anything on my arm.

"Mr. Aro, why don't we sit and discuss this?" I obediently kneel at Aro's feet as I wait to see what will happen now. I just want to get going. I want my revenge.

**Edward POV-**

I do my best to ignore Sam's thoughts as I explain to Aro that Sam's injury is untreatable; there is no way to repair the shattered bone completely. He will have either none or limited use for the rest of his life.

"Keep the piece of trash…" Aro practically yells, as he stands, kicks Sam, and starts to storm out. "Not that anyone will want something so broken."

I rack my brain for something to say, needing Aro to sign over Sam's papers.

"I'm in need of a test subject for one of my personal experiments; I'd be willing to take him off of your hands," I say, as soon as the idea hits me.

The smile Aro gives me almost makes me shiver with disgust. "That sounds like a perfect idea."

It takes no time to write out a sale agreement. I can practically feel the bile rise in my throat as I write out a check, hating that I was buying someone who should by all rights be free.

Not soon enough, Aro is gone and Sam and I are alone again. Sam hasn't moved, but his thoughts are full of worry. A part of him wants to trust what I have said, but another part of him won't allow him to believe my kind words.

I can't allow myself to worry about anything right now. Now it is time to clean up and head home. Once safe inside my house, Sam and I will be able to talk freely.

"OK, Sam, let's go home," I finally say, as I lead him out the back door and straight to my car, wincing when I notice he is crawling like all slaves are taught to do. This makes me feel even more anxious to get home. I am unsure of how the talk we need to have will go, and worried about what he'll do if I give him back his ability to shift before he fully knows and trusts me.

The moment he's in the car, I jump into the driver's seat, my mind already deciding that I can't afford to blindly trust a shifter who is full of so much anger. Anger that he has every right to feel towards my kind after what happened, but a fight between me and an angry shifter would be a toss-up. No, I will need to gain Sam's trust before I try to give back his ability to shift.

The drive is agonizingly slow as we sit in silence; even Sam's thoughts are quiet. As his worries fill the back of the car, worries of what will happen to him, his imagination works overtime trying to think of what kind of tests I will be using him for. I want to calm his fears; an Alpha should never be as afraid as he is, instead I choose not to say anything. No need to make our drive any more stressful by having any kind of serious talk while crammed into a car.

**AN: Please let me know what you think…**

**The song Solitary Ground is by Epica… "In me there's still a place that fulfills me, A sanctity here that I call home and run to when winter descends. If I try can I find solid ground…"**

**Side note about this fic. My vampires will be slightly different from twilight. Rose and Emmett are not vampires or part of the Cullen family, though they may come into the story later on. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Solitary Ground**

**AN: I own nothing… BIG thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! BIG thanks goes to my 8 reviewers... I hope you continue to enjoy!**

**SO don't kill me… BUT Jasper will be mentioned in this chapter, and the poor boy will need plenty of TLC soon… Edward vamp / Jasper cat shifter Fic...**

**Friend or Foe**

**Sam POV-**

My new master, Edward Cullen, drives silently as I kneel in the back of his car, thankful that there's plenty of room in the SUV for me to kneel somewhat comfortably. Not that this position could ever be comfortable, I just hope the ride doesn't take too long.

I lose track of how long we travel as I slowly lift my eyes from the ground, anxious to see where we are. Master Aro had told me I was far from home, but a small part of me knew that wasn't true. My feelings are confirmed as my eyes see the beautiful greenery outside.

Reminds me so much of home, I think as I look at the beautiful trees.

"You'll be home soon, Sam." Master suddenly says, startling me. There was something about this man that sent shivers up my spine. It almost felt like one of my brothers, when we would shift and be able to read each others' minds. "I'll explain everything in just a minute. Why don't you look outside and see it?"

I attempt to stay silent, but the view from the window makes me gasp. The sign is gone, but I know those trees, I know this land.

I am on Quileute land.

A drop landing on my hand makes me realize I'm crying. I never cry! And yet, here I am and just because I'm on Quileute land. But it's not even our land anymore. Master Aro made sure to show us that it had been sold, divided right down the middle between two rich families.

"It won't be divided forever, Sam. We're just keeping it safe," Master says, seeming to have heard my thoug… I pause mid-word. Is that it? Is my new master reading my mind?

"Yes, Sam," he answers, a laugh in his voice. "We're home now."

I can't seem to stop myself as I sit up, anxious to look around. It is the same, but different. We are parked inside a gated yard with this mansion of a house located right where my house, the alpha house, has stood for generations.

"I'm sorry about that, Sam; they destroyed it before we could stop them," Master says, parking and stepping out.

I carefully climb out and stand, making sure to keep my head bowed, even when every bone in me is screaming to look around.

"We'll talk inside, I think it's about to start raining," Master says, before walking away from me, leaving me confused, since he did not grab my leash to make me follow. _Why does he think I'll just follow? Maybe I will just make a run for it. I can live off of the forest, I know these lands. I could survive within these woods. _

"But if you run, who will help to make sure you can shift again one day?" Master says, turning on the steps to look at me. I don't catch myself in time as our eyes meet the liquid golden color bringing back memories of the past.

_Their eyes are gold. That is what separates them from the others. _I suddenly remember one of the elders telling me years ago, when I first shifted and was let in on all of the dirty little secrets of our tribe, including the agreement with the Cullen family. A family of five so-called "vegetarians". I thought the elders were off their rockers the first time they told me about the treaty. That is until I actually saw the very old, very worn-out paper signed by the elders and the Cullen family all those years ago when the agreement was first made.

"Come on, Sam. I'll get you something to eat as we talk about everything," Master says, pulling me out of my thoughts. He is sounding more like a friend or an acquaintance than a master. Maybe that is the reason I soon find myself obeying as I start to walk towards the house, my eyes staying glued to this strange vampire, as he turns his back to me and leads me inside.

**Edward POV-**

I try to remain calm as I lead Sam into the kitchen and look through the cabinets.

Vampires don't just live off of blood; we must also consume solid food. The blood in fact is what digests the food and turns it into energy.

So thankfully, I do have food inside the house. I just have to find something that won't be too heavy for Sam, since from the look of it he hasn't eaten in a while.

I smile as I find a can of Campbell's chunky beef soup, a note attached to it:

_**You'll need this. –A**_

_My sister just knows too much sometimes,_ I think with a laugh.

"Why don't you take a seat at the table and I'll start warming the soup so that we may talk," I say to Sam, who I notice hasn't moved since coming into the kitchen.

"Yes, Ma…" I move so fast I know I startle him, when my hand covers his mouth, preventing him from finishing.

"Not here, Sam. This is also your home. Here, when we are alone, we are equals. I will not have you calling me that word," I say, trying to speak gently, when all I want to do is yell and demand he stop this scared crap and act like the Alpha he was born to be.

I have no desire to be a master; no one should own another. There is no way I would allow Sam, someone who should in his own right be a strong and powerful Alpha, be a slave, forced to listen to another's bidding.

Taking a deep, unneeded breath, I get the soup for Sam and sit across from him at my table. Ready or not, it was time to talk.

**Sam POV-**

I'm still a little shocked at the words the vampire had said. We're equals? Really, how does that work?

I look at the soup that Master has placed before me. It smells good, but why would master give me so much to eat? Master Aro said slaves weren't worth that much food. Maybe this master is different... I stop my train of thought; I didn't need for him to hear my thoughts. No need to give him any ideas about how to punish me. Master Aro liked to withhold food. He even once went so far as to bring some inside, and set it just out of reach of the distance that damn chain would allow me to go.

"Sam, please eat. You can have as much as you need," Master says, motioning towards the bowl of soup. Part of me wants to be stubborn and refuse to listen to my new master. But I know all that would happen is that I will lose the food and get a beating.

Without looking up, I slowly move and take a small sip of the warm liquid.

"I've been searching for you, Sam," Master finally says, after what feels like hours of silence. "Between myself and my siblings, we bought your home lands. We know how much they mean to your people." I attempt to hide my eye roll as I think about all my people being dead. "Not all of the humans are dead, Sam. I believe many of them were able to get away and are alive, staying mostly hidden, not wanting to draw attention to themselves."

I listen silently as Master continues to tell me about my new "home". I eat quickly as he speaks, terrified he will get tired of me eating his food and take it away. I listen intently as he explains that there is a hidden level of the house that can be fixed up and made into a nice living space for me and eventually my brothers. I don't want to believe him when he talks about finding my family. All too soon, my soup is gone and I am following Master out of the kitchen area.

I know the pain will start soon. Master Aro had been determined to break me, to get me to obey, but he hadn't fully succeeded. But this vampire, this Edward Cullen, who at one point made a treaty with my people, this mind reader has everything he needs to break me. He has my homelands, possibly even the old texts that have been passed down from generation to generation, and the names of my brothers. Information the elders had been so insistent upon sending to them.

"Sam… Sam…" I'm suddenly aware of Master calling my name.

"I'm sorry, um, Sir," I automatically reply, as I wait for his fist to connect because I didn't answer him right away.

"Damn it!" he suddenly yells, stopping mid stride to turn and glare at me. "Sam, look at me!" he demands, though there is no venom in his voice.

Slowly, I listen to him, raising my brown eyes up to meet with his gold ones. I don't know what I expect to see swimming in his golden pools, but it isn't what I see there.

He has kindness, compassion, and maybe a little sympathy there, all directed towards me. Almost as if he can see how broken, how damaged I am.

I'm not the man I was meant to be; that is something I know for sure. Only months ago I was a strong-willed Alpha of a decent sized pack and now, now I'm not even sure who I am. What do you call an Alpha who can't shift, and just stands there while a younger member of his pack is killed?

"Sam, you should stop beating yourself up over something you couldn't control," Master says, a small smile forming on his face. "Now, are you ready to stop acting like a scared child and act more like yourself? I have a room I think you'll like."

He says nothing else as he turns and heads down the hallway. Curiosity getting the better of me, I follow.

"We may have not been able to save the Alpha house, but I did get here in time to save this," Master says, opening a door that looks the same as all the others.

I'm shocked speechless as the door opens to reveal shelves full of very old books, the ones belonging to the elders are all lining the walls and it seems like all of them are there, unharmed.

"All the ones we could get our hands on are there, Sam; I'm now giving them back to you." I know what he was trying to do. I know he is attempting to gain my trust for some unknown reason. I still can't believe that he means any of the nice things he is saying.

I hardly notice when Mast… Edward leaves me alone in the room, only looking up from the important books when he returns.

"Sam, I know you want to stay here and read, but it's getting late. Why don't I show you where you'll be sleeping tonight? They will still be here in the morning." I don't want to, but I obediently put Ephraim Black's journal down and follow him out of the room and downstairs.

The first thing I notice about the basement is that it isn't some cold, dark, and dank place. It is actually warm and almost welcoming. I follow Edward through the living area and to a hallway full of doors.

"The first two doors are the bathrooms," Edward points out, before pausing and motioning down the hall. "Well, they are all about the same, so go ahead a pick a room. Each should have a few sets of clothes, so feel free to take a shower and change. All this space down here is yours, so make yourself at home. But also get some sleep; we'll talk about your arm tomorrow."

He doesn't wait for me to say anything as he turns to leave.

"Um, Ma… I mean um… Ed… I just… Thank you." I stutter out, unsure of what to call him.

"You're welcome, Sam," he says with a smile. "Oh, and Sam? It's Edward."

He leaves me then, to deal with things in my own way. First things first. I walk into the closest room and look around. It has a soft looking bed, a dresser, a nightstand with a lamp, and a desk. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but still nice.

I smile when I find t-shirts and soft sweatpants in the dresser, deciding to take a shower. I am not surprised when I enter the bathroom and it's all decked out with all the necessities. Nothing over the top, but at least the water is warm; there are even clean toothbrushes in the cabinet.

Once I clean up, I crawl into bed, wondering what tomorrow will bring.

**Jasper POV-**

We are lined up in a perfect row, just as master has drilled into us. A shiver rakes through my body as I force myself to keep my head down, praying not to call attention to myself.

I am a lion shifter; I am supposed to be proud and strong. But here I am, wearing only a collar around my neck and shorts that leave nothing to the imagination.

There was no chance for me to get away, when the vampires attacked a wolf pack I was sent to talk to about being allies. I am one of the few feline shifters that's been captured, and I pray every day just to die. The man who bought me is as evil as they come. He bought me right after I was taken, and takes pleasure in what he calls "training" me to be his whore. He tells me daily how he likes breaking his whores in, and break me in he has. I've tried to fight, but being stuck in my human form, means I 'm no match for the bloodsuckers. I'm ashamed to admit it, but it didn't take long for him to break me to do his bidding. Only a week had passed before I followed his orders. He was the one to take my virginity; he took pleasure in my pain. He enjoyed making me his whore.

That's where I am now; a whore house. Waiting in a line with my fellow slaves to be used and abused by the filthy bloodsuckers. It isn't enough that they killed off many of us, taking away our homes. But now they use and abuse us. Filthy bloodsuckers, they should all be killed. And the cherry on top is that they did something to us to stop us from shifting. The cowards took our ability to fight them away.

Unlike wolf shifters, feline shifters never had any true problems with vampires. We should have been against the "living-dead" from the start; maybe then we would have stood a chance against them.

My fellow felines are scattered, most able to blend with humans better than the wolves, able to hide from the bloodbath which vampires seemed so determined to create. I just hope for my brother and my friends are safe, and one day able to take these vampires down. None of them deserve to live.

I go through the rest of the day in a daze, nothing new happening. Every time is the same; it has only taken me a month to learn how to block it out, to zone out and forget what the evil creatures are doing to my body. After we are all done for the night or day, whatever time it is, the doors to our "rooms" will unlock and we make our way to the ice cold showers. At least they give us soap to clean ourselves with, though the so-called towels are rough and won't even wrap around my waist.

"Hurry up, pets! It's time for you to all go to bed," Master's voice says over the speaker, as we rush to do as we're told.

Only minutes later, I am lying on my "blanket" in my cage, attempting to sleep. I don't dare wish; I've wished too many times to get out of here. There is only one way out, and that will be to be killed, after my usefulness is over. No, I'm never getting out of here alive.

**AN: Please let me know what you think…** **I know some of you will be mad about Jaspers POV poor boy, right? I would also like to say that is as bad as its going to get. I'm not going to go into detail about the abuse any of the shifters suffer. **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I own nothing… BIG thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! I'm so thrilled everyone seems to be loving the story so far. Yes poor Jasper, don't worry there will be plenty TLC soon. OH and I now have a banner, Thanks to Mariuxita Rivera Verdesoto who surprised me with it. Enjoy ch3. **

**CH 3**

**Edward POV-**

I leave Sam in the room to read, knowing that while he needs his rest, it may just be better for him to take some comfort in his heritage books before sleeping.

Making my way into the kitchen, I clean up the small mess I left. I force myself to wait an hour before going back downstairs to Sam. My doctor side knows he needed rest, but I also want him to start feeling more comfortable with me. Sam doesn't notice as I enter the library; he looks so at ease, bringing a smile to my face. This is how an Alpha should look; comfortable and in control.

"Sam, I know you want to stay here and read, but it's getting late. Why don't I show you where you'll be sleeping tonight? Your books will still be here in the morning." My words draw Sam's attention and while he doesn't look happy about it, he obeys and follows me out of the room.

As I lead him through the rooms, I point out the living area, which is equipped with a large flat screen, and every video game console imaginable. I point out where the bathroom and bedrooms are before saying goodnight to Sam.

"Um, Ma… I mean, um… Ed… I just… Thank you," I hear him stutter out. At least he is attempting to talk to me; that's something.

"You're welcome, Sam," I say kindly, before adding, "Oh and Sam, it's Edward."

I listen outside the basement door to Sam moving around, glad when he goes to use the shower. I stay there at the door until I hear him crawl into bed and his breathing even out.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I go into my office and study Sam's X-Rays. The sun is just peaking over the horizon by the time I feel I have learned everything I can from them. My cell ringing breaks the silence of the house.

"Alice," I say, not even needing to look at the caller ID.

"I've been waiting forever for you to call me!" she scolds, though I know she's not really mad. "So how is he?"

"He has a lot of healing to go through, Ali," I sigh as I slouch down on the couch. "It's the Alpha, Alice. We found Sam."

"Really?" she squeals. "So that leaves us with only eight. Wait, no, seven more to go! Can't forget the little wolf hiding in that cave."

"Actually, Alice, it's six. I can't tell who, but I know Sam watched one of his pack mates be killed. It keeps playing in his mind like a movie. In a day or so, I'm hoping he'll be somewhat better and we can go meet that young wolf in the cave."

Alice is quiet for so long, I actually check to make sure we haven't been disconnected.

"Poor Sam. I had hoped we would be able to find all of them," she whispers, her voice full of grief. We know how he feels. The pain we experienced from Carlisle and Esme's death nearly tore our small family apart. Sometimes, I think it's only the treaty we have with the wolves that holds us together. The two of us bought up the land, and saved all the books and heirlooms we could. It will be together that we find and reunite the pack and heal them. Maybe it will heal us in the process.

"Me too, Ali." We talk for a few more minutes about Sam and his arm, before saying goodbye.

Now comes the time of night where I wish I could sleep; to be able to dream. I know mine would be about my mate. A man I've been searching for since being changed, yet have never been able to find. Even Alice can't tell me anything about him, so either he's not born yet, or there is something special about him that keeps her from seeing.

I'm just grabbing a book from the library, when Sam's whimpers reach my ears. Curious, I make my way to his room, wanting to make sure he is ok. His dreams when I get closer make me wince. I see through his eyes how an army of vampires had stormed their small village, killing any that got in their way. Sam watched each one of them fall from the shot of a tranquilizer gun. Though some were able to keep fighting long enough to take down a few of their enemies, it wasn't enough.

With a sigh, I close his door and leave him; there isn't anything I can do about Sam's dreams. Going back into the library, I pick up the book Sam had been reading. Even though I have studied the elders' text, I know it won't hurt to read it over. Until Sam wakes, there isn't much else I can do.

The sun is barley in the sky when I hear movement. Sam's thoughts reach me, wondering what he's supposed to do. Standing, I put the book away and make my way to him.

"Good morning, Sam," I say, as I open the door, unsurprised when I see him standing there, his head down and body slightly trembling.

"Why don't we go see what I have for breakfast? We can talk about what I can do for your arm."

I make a quick easy breakfast of turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast with jam. Not being the best of cooks, I figure something simple is always best. Alice likes to tease me that if I wasn't a vampire, I'd succumb to food poisoning from my own cooking.

Being a vampire, I don't need to eat much; only really about one meal a day. Sometimes, as a family, we use to do cookouts and family dinners, where we would pig out on food that we didn't truly need.

Sam doesn't even touch his food until I tell him to eat. His thoughts are a mix of confusion and worry about the pending discussion about his arm.

"I can't make your hand perfect again," I say, breaking the silence. "However, I've studied your x-rays and believe that I can fix it enough that you'll have use of it."

He wearily lifts his eyes up to mine, but stays silent.

"The process will be painful, Sam," I continue. "I will need to re-break your arm and then put it in a cast."

I go on to explain how painful it will be and that the choice is his. I have gone back and forth all night, trying to see if giving him the ability to shift-fix his arm would be a better option. But each book I read told me what I already knew. Sam needs to be strong again before being able to shift. In his current condition, it's a high possibility that his wolf will take over.

"Okay, Edward, let's do it," He says, standing up from the table. Leading him to a medical room I have set up in one of the spare rooms, I explain to him all the equipment I'm pulling out.

With the portable X-Ray machine set up, I carefully strap Sam's injured arm down so that it won't move.

"Sam, this drug will knock you out a little. You'll still be aware of everything and feel some pain, but it's better than not using anything," I say, filling a syringe with morphine.

"I'll be okay. I just want to get it over with," he says, trying to hold his fear at bay.

**Sam POV**

Edward is right; the pain of fixing my hand isn't comparable to anything I've ever felt. He assured me after a few new X-Rays, that as long as I keep the cast on, my hand will be fixed, and I'll have use of it again in only two days.

The next two days go by at a snail's pace. I want to get the stupid cast off and be able to actually function again. In the past few days I've watched Edward, almost obsessively. He looks young, almost like a nineteen year old, but I know he is a lot older than that. While I am waiting to hear him yell or scream at me, it has yet to happen. Even when I burned the hamburgers last night, he just smiled and told me not to worry, as he ordered take-out. Slowly, I'm working on being myself again. There have been a few times I didn't speak my mind, and Edward reminded me that he can read my mind, so he just prefers for me to speak it.

I spend most of the afternoon wondering around the house. Edward told me only one room in the house is off-limits, and that is his lab. He explained that there are a few things he's working on, and doesn't want anyone to wonder down there. I respect his privacy, and have stayed away. However I do snoop through his entertainment room and all his movies; and his music room, with the grand piano situated right in the middle of the room. Edward said last night at dinner that he loves music, and this room proves it. While one wall is full of CD's and a great CD player, the other wall has rows and rows of records, and a record player. Next, I find a weight room, which is strange, seeing as vampires can't really change their body or grow any stronger than they already are.

A note on one of the machines catches my eye:

_Sam,_

_Once your hand is completely healed, you're going to need to start working out. Let me know if there's anything not in this room that you want. Other than that, look at this room as yours. _

_Edward_

Guess that answers my question about why he has a weight room. Noticing it's after seven, I head into the kitchen. Making a quick and easy dinner for us, I wait anxiously for Edward to emerge from his lab. I want the cast off, and it has been two days.

"Dinner smells good," Edward says, walking into the dining room.

"Thanks. It's just something simple," I say, almost embarrassed about the praise. It's not like it was much at all; just pork chops and pasta, and the pasta is just one of those box things, that you basically just add water and boil. "I found the weight room, thank you so much. I use to have a small version of it at my house that the pack would always come over to use."

I start to tear up with that last bit, as I think of my brothers. I can feel them; I can tell they're alive. But that isn't much, since I know most will be in similar conditions that I had been with Aro.

We eat the rest of dinner in silence, but I know Edward can hear my thoughts of wanting this cast off.

"Well, Sam, ready to see how your hand is doing?" Edward finally asks once dinner's finished.

"Finally!" I practically yell, as I stand up and head towards his little in-house hospital room. The next few minutes go by agonizingly slow, as I sit there and watch Edward work the cast off.

"Give it a try," Edward says, as he cleans up the small mess of tools he used. Edward is right; though it doesn't look perfect, it no longer hurt and is usable again.

"Thank you so much, Edward," I say, tearing up at being able to use my hand.

"I'm glad it worked; now I have a bigger surprise for you. A few miles from here there's a cave. I'm sure you know about it. A week ago, my sister and I noticed a young wolf living there. I am not sure who it is, but he has to be from your pack, since he's been good at hiding here on the land." My heart is threatening to beat out of my chest, as I listen to Edward explain about the wolf. He wants me to go with him to get him to come back with us.

Part of me is craving to bring my brother back here, but a smaller part is still scared. It's not like I know Edward all that well. Should I truly trust him right now with my brother's safety?

"Well, let's go see who it is then," I finally say, my mind made up.

**Jasper POV-**

When I was younger, I saw the moving Oliver Twist. There was a part in it where he leaves the table to ask for more gruel.

I would seriously kill for some of the gruel they served him! Currently, we're "eating" what Master calls 'our meal'. It doesn't matter if it is dinner time, since we only receive one meal a day. If you can really call a small bowl of broth a meal. It is just enough to keep us going, but not enough to stop the hunger.

"Well boys, hurry up and finish, we're going to have more customers arriving very soon," Master cheerfully says, causing us all to hurry to finish the small amount of broth. I watched what master did when one of the other shifters didn't finish fast enough. Master just dumped the broth on the floor and made the boy wipe it up; he then had to just go hungry. I'm not going to let that happen to me.

I've only been in this hell hole for a little over a month, I think. Already, they have won. I use to think I was strong. My father, having been the ruler of our coalition of felines, taught me to be strong and fight, though it will be Emmett, my older brother, who will take our father's place one day as ruler. But even with my father's teachings, I have been broken to bend to the will of these vampires in under a month, proving to me just how weak I truly am.

"Line up!" Master yells, causing us all to scramble to do his bidding.

Another night, same thing. I don't even wait for master's clients to enter as I escape back into my mind.

**Wolf POV**

I hadn't been home when the tribe and pack were attacked. Instead, I arrived home to the destruction left over. The pain of finding my father's broken and bloody body thrown there on our porch, and my mother and sister gone, caused my wolf to come forward. I lost track of time long ago, and am unable to shift back. Instead, I've just been living as a wolf. Maybe that's better than dealing with the pain as a weak human.

Hearing people approach my cave, I crouch low, ready to attack. I know it had been vampires that took my brothers; I just hope none of them came back for me. Ready or not I would soon find out who it is.

"Hello?" A familiar voice calls, as the two people step into my cave. "Hello? I know you're here. Come out brother, it's safe now."

_I know that voice,_ I think to myself, as I inch towards the opening of the cave.

"Seth?" my Alpha questions, as I come out into the open.

Seth… That's me. A part of me suddenly wakes. Human pain and memories assault me as everything changes.

Without thought, I'm standing there as nude as the day I was born.

"Sam," I say, rushing into his arms. It's only then that I realize the other person in the cave is a vampire. The sticky-sweet scent reaches me, and my body tenses before everything goes black.

"Edward, I still can't believe he fainted," Sam is saying, as the world comes back to me. "I mean, really? He smells vamp and faints?"

"Be nice, Sam. Oh, and our little buddy there is awake now." A man, who I assume is Edward, says, causing my eyes to pop open.

"Hey Seth, this here is Edward," Sam says, pointing to the vampire. "Don't worry, he's one of the good guys. You remember the stories about the Cullen family, right? Well he's part of that family."

"It's nice to meet you, Edward," I'm finally able to say when Sam has to stop for breath. "Sam, where are the others?" I ask, breaking the silence that has fallen between us.

"That's a long story, Seth. Why don't I show you where you can clean up and I'll explain everything to you over dinner." He leads me out of what I assume is the living room.

"Before you go, what kind of pizza would you two like?" Edward the nice vampire says, holding up an order form for Pizza Hut.

"Meat lovers," Sam and I say at the same time, causing the vampire to laugh.

**AN: I hope you enjoyed it. SO now Sam and Seth are both safe… **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I own nothing… BIG thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm so glad you're liking this fic. Enjoy. **

**Growing**

**Sam POV- **

I smile to myself as I stir the spaghetti sauce. I've been with Edward for a little over a month now. Within that time, the three of us have settled into an easy routine.

Edward is taking some time off of work, claiming he's worried about leaving us alone. Since then, he's spent most days in his lab.

Seth is Seth; the nice, friendly, and easygoing guy he's always been. When we arrived at the cave, I was overjoyed to find him; I doubt he would've survived completely if he had been taken.

Nightmares wake me up most nights. They've gotten so bad that Seth's started crawling into my bed before we even go to sleep. He tells me he just needs the feel of pack around, and isn't ready to be alone again. Although, half the time I think he does it because he wants to be right there when I wake from a nightmare. Either way, I'm glad to have one of my brothers back.

Edward's been locked in his lab for the past five hours. Just this morning, he explained to me what he is attempting to do, and I've been anxious ever since to see if it works. The thought of shifting again fills me with excitement. Since Edward believes he is close, I'm chomping at the bit for him to announce that it's ready.

He has taken small vials of my blood for the past three days, conducting tests on it. He is theorizing that the chip would work by smell. Apparently, they can smell the small amount of our blood in the current chip so by slightly changing the blood in it but making it seem like ours we'll be able to shift without the bloodsuckers knowing until its too late and I've already ripped their throat out. I'm crossing my fingers Edward figures this out fast; I miss my wolf, and worry if he's even survived captivity.

"I got it!" Edward suddenly yells, causing me to rush towards the door to his lab - anxious to go in. "Come in, Sam." That's all the invite I need before I yank the door open and run down the steps.

It has taken me a while to get accustom to his annoying little ability of reading my mind, but I am finally getting used to it. Then I find out that he can speak telepathically with someone if he chose to. Although, he's yet to do so with me.

"Will it work?" I ask, looking down at the small chip in his hands.

"I'm almost positive," he answers, suddenly sounding unsure. "I'm as sure as I can be without it being tested on a shifter."

This was something we discussed earlier today, when he explained what was going on. Edward truly did not want to use me for his experiment. However, that would be the only way to see if it would work. I am without a doubt willing to try it.

"So, when do we do this?" I question hopefully, as I look between the chip and Edward. I even meet his eyes, trying to show him my excitement and willingness to trust him with this. He's basically holding my chance at being able to shift in his hand –– it's _so_ close.

"How about after dinner? Smelling like it's just about ready."

Edward laughs. I've been so excited about the chip; all thoughts of food have been forgotten.

Seth is hiding himself away in the music room with his guitar, and won't come out until one of us tells him to.

"Sure, if you can just check on that, I have to pull Seth away from his guitar." I chuckle as I walk in the opposite direction of the kitchen. The boy plays his music practically day and night. I figure it's a good thing, since we aren't really able to leave the grounds. There is too much risk of being seen by other vampires. They will either take us, or report that Edward set us free - neither is a good option.

"_One day, Sam, you'll be able to come and go from your home freely."_

I suddenly hear Edward's voice ring in my mind, making me pause. I mean, yeah, he's told me he can do it, but knowing about it and actually experiencing it are two different things. I don't say anything else as I open the door to the music room.

"Seth, put down the guitar and come have dinner," I say, causing Seth to roll his eyes at me. He has made it clear that he's survived months on his own and doesn't need me to act as his father. I also know he likes having me around. Pack is a big part of who we are; a lone wolf can only survive for so long.

While Seth tries to hide it from me, I know he still shifts. Edward says it's because he doesn't want me to see him in wolf form, when I can't join him. It's only natural for us to crave being in our animal form, and to ask the kid to go against it would be almost cruel.

Edward has mentioned to me that if his chip works, he wants to put one in Seth, so no one tries to take him away for being "feral". That's what the vampires call the shifters that were able to get away from them. It's a name humans have used to describe wild pets such as dogs and cats for years, and is now being used on my people - treated and traded as if we're animals ourselves.

Just the other night at dinner, Edward offered to take this cursed chip out of me, giving Seth and me both the freedom we'd need to leave. While I want badly to be able to run free, my best bet at finding the rest of the pack is to stay and let Edward help me.

He has told me that he will still look for my brothers – even if Seth and I leave. I just can't do it, knowing how scared I had been of Edward when he first brought me here. It will just be easier on them if I'm here when they arrive.

We make it to the kitchen, just as Edward is placing the noodles and sauce on hot plates in the middle of the table.

"Smells great!" Seth says, as he digs in without a second thought. My body feels like it's on fire as I eat. I'm so ready to finish eating and get back to the lab to see if Edward's chip will work. In theory, he says it should fool vampires into thinking I'm "safe" and unable to shift. However, instead of hindering me, it will give me the advantage to be able to shift, and surprise anyone who may try to attack us - giving me the ability to protect us.

Dinner seems to go on forever, but in reality it only lasts about twenty minutes. Finally, we are finished, and placing our empty dishes in the sink.

"Seth, do you think you can handle the dishes tonight? Sam and I have something we need to work on," Edward asks, noticing I don't want Seth there. Just in case it fails and the chip doesn't allow me to shift, I wouldn't want Seth to see my disappointment.

"No prob," my brother says with a smile, which is so contagious I find myself smiling at Seth's retreating back. The kid's always happy. These past few days with him around, I notice I am smiling more and more.

Without a word, I turn and walk towards Edward's lab. A smirk appears on my face when I notice he's following me. There's no longer any fear in me at Edward – a vampire being at my back. Turning our backs to someone is a show of trust. Until this moment, I hadn't realized I had grown to trust him so much.

"I'm glad you do, Sam. Now if you'll hop right up, I'm just as eager as you are to see if this will work. Before we get started I want to walk you through what I'm going to do."

I don't even realize we have made it into his lab, and there in front of me is one of those doctor tables.

His explanation seems to take forever. He is going to have me remove my shirt and then lie face down on the table. Then Edward will give me a small amount of sedative to help with the pain. He'll remove the old chip from my right shoulder and replace it with his.

With any luck, in less than fifteen minutes, I'll be up and about and ready to shift for the first time in what feels like years.

"I'm all set when you're ready," Edward finally says, a laugh in his voice.

My heart is pounding as I remove my shirt and lie on my stomach. While Edward has seen the scars I carry, I am not too happy at having to lay here with them on display.

"Don't focus on that, Sam. Just try to relax and I'll be finished before you know it." Edward's voice is calm and reassuring as he gently sticks me with a needle and darkness over takes me.

"Good, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Edward's voice brings me out of the darkness, with awareness that my back is covered and I'm now on a cot.

"Did it work?" I ask suddenly, very frightened that it didn't.

"You tell me, Sam. Call to your wolf."

Call to my wolf - something that was once so easy. I used to just be able to think about the wolf's strength and power.

"And there's your answer."

Edward's voice brings me back to reality. I'm on all fours, and covered in fur. I've done it! Well, Edward did, but still… my wolf is still with me, he hasn't died.

_I need to go show Seth, I'm sure he's wondering what we're doing._ I say, glad for once that Edward is able to read minds.

"Sure, then you two can go for a run." Edward moves lightning fast to open the door. I take the steps three at a time, thankful that in this form my arm is perfect.

I feel like a completely new person as I run through the house, tackling Seth, who is still at the sink and hasn't even noticed me rush in.

"Can we go for a run now?" Seth asks excitedly. Obviously in wolf form I can't answer. Instead, I nudge him and head towards the back door Edward has opened for us.

Seth doesn't even bother with his clothes as he shifts, and they become nothing but shredded pieces of cloth.

I don't care about the clothes as I run with my brother, wanting this moment never to end, knowing eventually we will have to return to the house.

'_Sam, are we gonna still stay with Edward?' _Seth asks through our mental bond. Shifted as we are, I can feel his fear of going back to living in a cave somewhere. Seth may have made it without getting caught, but the few months he lived alone in the woods had changed him some. It's not until this moment that I realize he'd changed.

Being in this form and able to sort through his mind, I realize just how close we had come to loosing Seth. The image of his dead father, along with all of our elders dead, had sent Seth into hysterics. His wolf, out of a will to survive, had taken over. As Alpha, I am thankfully able to hide my memories from Seth. I don't need him to see what I've seen. He doesn't need to see the fear and pain that had filled Brady's eyes as he looked at me - begging me to help him moments before he was killed.

As Alpha, I should have protected him, but I'd failed. Not this time, though; I will not fail Seth.

'_Yes, Seth, we'll stay with Edward. He's agreed to help us find the rest of our brothers and give us safety.' _I finally answer Seth when he head-butts me - guessing I've gotten lost in my thoughts. It's well past midnight by the time we make it back. Edward left the door unlocked, and even brought us both a change of clothes to put on before entering the house.

Our run had been great; I even missed wrestling, and overall being in wolf form.

"Good run?" Edward asks, looking over the top of his book as we come in.

"Yeah, thanks." My words don't express how thankful I truly am, but with his annoying vamp ability, I know that he knows I am over the moon about being able to shift.

"Night," Seth and I both say as we head to our rooms.

"Goodnight, Sam. Seth. Sleep well."

Seth and I climb into my bed without a word to each other, as we make our own version of a 'doggy pile' on the overly soft bed.

**Other POV-**

"Paul?" I ask as we eat our 'dinner'.

"Yeah?" he says, his eyes looking almost dead, his body worn and beaten. The fresh marks on his torso look brutal, and I have to swallow back tears as I remember him taking them for me. It had been my fault, and yet he'd taken the blame, claiming he wanted to protect me best he can.

"Do you think any of the others are alive? Do you think we'll make it out of here?" I say the last bit in a whisper. We're not stupid to try escaping a second time––the first had left us broken and bloody for over two days. I'd almost lost Paul; my rock and my strength. He doesn't know, but I'm in love with him. Not that it matters much right now, as we have bigger problems to worry about. We are always trying to stay out of Master Mike's way as we work his grape fields in the hot summer heat of California.

"I… I don't know," he answers, pulling me into a tight hug. "I'll do anything in my power to get you out of here, though."

"Okay, thank you," I say, before I can tell him how I truly feel about him. The words sound lame even to me, as I relax into his hold.

Our moment is ruined when the Master comes into our 'cafeteria'.

"Hurry up and get to your rooms." As we stand to walk past him he looks straight at me. "You, come with me." His red eyes are full of such distaste and lust I feel as if I'm going to get sick.

"M… Mee.. Sir?" I stutter as I stop walking.

"No, not you." he sneers, giving me a disgusted look before motioning to someone behind me. "You."

In that moment, I am both extremely relieved and saddened. The young boy he's motioned to looks scared to death, but there's nothing any of us can do to stop it. One tried; his name had been Kenneth. The Master made us watch his punishment, as Kenneth was beaten to death. He had suffered for over twelve hours, before he was finally able to succumb to the darkness and escape the only way there is for our kind now.

I don't want that end for my Paul. Before our enslavement, he was always joking and pulling pranks that had gotten him a ride in the back of the local sheriff's cruiser a time or two. Everyone told me he was a bad seed and to stay away from him, and I had tried. That was until I shifted and joined the pack he was already a part of. It's hard to let go of a crush when you see him shirtless all the time.

That was years ago, but this is now. My Paul deserves to be free.

**AN: Thanks for reading…. Any guesses on whose POV the last part is? Next chapter will be Jasper & Edward's POV. This part just needed to be Sam's POV. **


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I own nothing… BIG thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! Thank you to everyone who reviewed…**

**Dream World**

**Jasper POV-**

I hate this place, I hate life; there have been many nights that I wish for death. There's also been nights that I succumb to my dreams. Father use to tell me and my brother stories about our ancestors were able to escape into dreams at times. That's how they would even meet their mates.

My dream man is my sanctuary; he stands only a few inches taller than me, with this beautiful reddish hair that's always going every which way. Every time I see him, my feelings for him grow and I don't even know his name. However, his arms always wrap around me protectively the moment he sees me. It is this man who's kept me alive through this nightmare. The real world is full of pain and death. The whore house echoes with the sounds of screams, but in this dream world, even the screams and my own pain disappears. Unfortunately, I can't hide in my dream forever; eventually, I must return to my life and deal with this place. I only wish I could find out my dream man's name.

**Edward POV-**

Seth, Sam, and I have settled into a nice and easy routine in the seven months they've been here. I went back to work about a week after giving Sam his wolf back -his words not mine.

Working at the hospital is even more depressing than it was before meeting Sam. Bringing he and Seth into my home has made me realize just how alone I've truly been.

Finally my day is just about over. I sit down at my desk to fill out paperwork for the billing that will be going out, when it happens. Darkness slowly overtakes me, and if I didn't know any better, I'd say I fell asleep. Entering this strange dream world, I'm instantly drawn to the beautiful blonde man sitting in a nearby chair.

"_You're here," he excitedly yells, before jumping up and running towards me, my arms automatically wrapping around him._

"_I don't know how I'm here, but I am glad. It gets so lonely at times," I whisper into his ear. _

"_I get lonely too," he whispers just as quietly, snuggling closer into my arms. "Can't we talk about something happier? Dreams aren't meant to be sad."_

_We're done talking then as I pull my man into a kiss. I know it's not real, but still it feels as if he is truly in my arms, his lips eagerly pressing against mine. All I can think of is 'more'. "Bed," I practically demand between kisses as I gently guide him back towards to the bed. _

_His rough calloused hands run under my shirt and up my back causing my breath to hitch as I remove his shirt. Soon, we are both in a heated and needing frenzy as shirts, pants, and boxers go flying. My man looks like an angel as he falls back onto the bed, pulling me to land on top of him. _

"_I need you, _moshaol_." My life. His endearment towards me makes me melt every time. It's as if I can feel the truth in his words. "Without you I don't know what will happen to me. Please, moshaol, don't ever abandon me; don't leave me alone in this hell." _

_His words make me pause. I know something has to be happening for me to be in a dreamlike state, but if this man is real – I need to find him._

"_NOOOOOOOO!" I scream out as my man disappears from me and I find myself back in my office. _

"Um, excuse me, sir, but your 1:00 has arrived," Angela's voice says over the intercom.

"Yes, thank you, Angela. You may show Mr. Stevens into Room One," I reply back as I stand, not happy having to go back to work.

The rest of the day is slow, and by the time I get home I'm in a foul mood. If my dream man is real, where is he, and how do I find him? Being a vampire for over a hundred years with no mate makes for a lonely existence.

Don't get me wrong––I've had my fair share of hookups through the years; everyone from vampire, shifter, even human. However, none of them were to be my mate. But this man, the man who somehow pulls me into dreams, he's different. Now that I know he is out there somewhere, I'll tear the world apart looking for him.

"EDWARD!" Seth's voice yells as I open my bedroom door.

"I'm sorry. What, Seth?" I say, just realizing I've been ignoring him since stepping into our house.

"I've been trying to get your attention for ages. Are you joining us for dinner?" I take that moment to study the young shifter; Seth's adapted living under this roof well, even better than Sam, who I know still has nightmares. What happened when he and his pack were taken and Brady's death still haunts him.

"No, not tonight, Seth. I think I'm just going to go up to my room. Goodnight." I know Seth wants to say more. His thoughts are full of questions about what happened today to put me in my mood. Finally, after a few moments of silence, he leaves and I disappear.

As I discard my work clothes and turn on the water, I can't get the picture of the blond man out of my mind. He didn't look weak, but there was something about him that called to my protective side. His light blue eyes...it's almost as if they can see into my very soul. That he'll see every deed, the good and bad, I have ever done.

I have shared more than fifty of these dream-like episodes with him. Never once has there been confirmation that he is out there and real. I've heard of vampires who are able to dream of their mate before meeting them. Until he mentioned wishing I was real, I didn't realize it was not me who was dreaming about him. He has been pulling me into his dreams.

As I step into the shower, I let myself remember the first time we met in a dream.

"_Hello," a strange beautiful angel calls to me as the darkness leaves, and I find myself in a nicely decorated room._

"_Hello?" I reply, stepping closer towards him. His beautiful hair hangs in curls just past his chin, and his piercing blue eyes look at me with wonder and lust as I step closer towards him. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame. It is only when he stands, a blanket that he has been holding falling from his grasp, that I notice he is naked. While slimmer than I am, he still has beautiful muscles, and something even more impressive between his legs standing up to great me._

"_Will you join me?" Uh? Join him where? I wonder, as I realize I have missed the first part of his question. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" I ask, noticing this time that he seems nervous as he bites his bottom lip. _

"_I'm going to take a shower, will you join me? It's just that I don't like being alone. I always feel so alone." _

_I find myself agreeing to join him. This strange dream gets even stranger as he quickly undresses me, my desire filling me with lust as I grab his waist and pull him towards me._

"_Is this what you want?" I ask the angel as I turn on the water and pull him in, thankful that there's enough room for two._

"_Yes, please love me," he begs, his head going to the side in submission to me. That's all my vampire side needs to see before he takes over and pushes the man against one of the walls, his arms above his head. _

"_Keep them there and I'll make sure you get exactly what you want," I whisper into his ear as my hands find lube on a nearby shelf. His body shivers as I guide a single finger against his hole. "Is this what you want, angel? Tell me no and I'll stop."_

_When he pushes back, begging for me to take him, I do, letting my finger enter him. I watch as his face fills with pleasure before he's begging for more. I want to desperately sink into his tight hole, but I wait, keeping my monster at bay as I stretch and prepare my angel._

"_You're ready, my beauty," I say with a smile, as I slowly enter his tight heat._

Grabbing my hard shaft, I picture my angel. How he felt, the beautiful sounds he made as I took him in that shower, pinned against the wall. Stroking faster, I remember how he begged for my touch, pleaded to come, for any kind of release.

"YYEEESSS," I hiss out, as I come all over my hand, the picture of my mystery man still firm in my mind. How could I have not known he is real? He had felt so good, had been so responsive, and way more beautiful than I ever could have imagined on my own.

Finishing my shower, I smile at the memory of him practically passing out after he came; that it had been up to me to dry him and place him in the middle of the large king sized bed in the room. His beautiful blue eyes had captured my own as he whispered a thank you before everything had gone dark and I was flung back into the real world.

The next day, I get a call from some vineyard owner in California whose shifters are all getting sick. Since not many vampires like living in California, he can't find a vet anywhere that will come to him.

Even though I would rather not take a trip that far from home, something in me tells me I have to go. It takes me an hour to get everything ready. Last minute, I run into my library to grab a book I have that may be the key to what's been happening with the dreams. The book is about all kinds of shifters and what many are able to do, such as their powers. Not every shifter has them, but like vampires, there is sometimes one that's special and different.

"Stop worrying," Sam says, as I look around the house one more time. "We'll be fine. I'm able to defend us now, and Pixy will be checking in on us. Go. If you don't, there's no one to help the sick shifters he has."

"Call me if anything comes up. My trip should only take two days." With that, I'm out the door and hopping into Alice's Porsche, heading towards the airport.

"Everything here will be OK, Edward. I can see that. What I can't see is what's going on there in California. I don't like it. I know why you are going, and I'd probably do the same. But you better call me when you get there, and before you head home. So I don't have to worry too much."

"I'll talk to you soon, Alice," I say, as she pulls up to the airport and I jump out.

The flight takes no time. Before I know it, I have my stuff loaded into the Toyota FJ Cruiser Alice rented for me. Why she got me such a big vehicle I don't know, but I've learned to never question Alice on things.

After forty minutes of driving, I finally find the home of a Mike Summers. Taking a deep breath, I park the monster vehicle and head towards the door.

"Please come in, Sir/ Master is waiting for you in his study," a slightly familiar boy says when he opens the door.

"Thank you," I find myself saying, as I step past the malnourished shifter. I follow him through the house and to the study.

"Master?" he whispers knocking on the door.

"Boy, I told you to leave me alone!" Mike's voice booms through the room as I push past the shifter and step inside.

"Mr. Summers, I'm Dr. Cullen," I say, doing my best to put on a smile and hold out my hand in greeting.

"Oh yes, Dr. Cullen. Welcome," he says, before glaring past me at the shifter. "Ember, why didn't you tell me the good doctor arrived?" he sneered.

The shifter stays quiet, but his thoughts ring loud to me. _Embry, n__ot Ember, you stupid blood sucking leech. Paul's in there dying, and you're yelling at me for nothing as the doctor just stands there waiting for you to tell him what's going on. _

"Go, be gone, boy," Mr. Summers says to Embry. It takes all my will power not to turn to look at the boy again, now knowing why he looked familiar. He's just a shell of the boy in Sam's thoughts. Somehow, I've stumbled upon not one, but possibly two of Sam's lost pack mates.

"Well, Doc, if you'll just follow me, I'll show you where we're keeping those sick shifters of mine."

Without another word, I follow him out of his study and through the house. I already know I won't be leaving here without Embry or Paul, no matter what.

**AN: Thanks for reading. If you don't mind please view the poll I've posted, it's for school and I'd appreciate any votes. AND don't forget to review for a special sneak of next ch ;)**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: I own nothing… Thank you to everyone who reviewed, so so sorry about the long wait…**** Also thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! **

**Finding Friends**

**Edward POV- **

The stench of death hits me the moment he opens the door to what he was calling the animal's room. It looks like an old wine cellar that has been gutted, with thin blankets acting as the sick beds.

"Here they are," he says, waiving his hand over the nine bodies, though there are only eight heartbeats, and even then they sound so weak. "I'll be in my study once you're done with them."

With that he leaves me.

I spot Paul right off, or at least someone that looks like him. Only this isn't the tough man in Sam's thoughts; this is a skinny and broken looking man on the verge of death.

I notice no one else as I walk towards Paul.

"Edward?" A weak voice calls out to me as I pass one of the sick. I stop dead in my tracks when I look down at the body before me.

"Conner?" I whisper, as I kneel at his side. My family and I had only stayed in New Hampshire for about a year, until we had to leave given some were too perspective of how different we were, but Conner and a few of his friends had been acquaintances to us. "I didn't know you were a shifter."

"Edward, I hurt."

His words are cut off by a coughing fit. _I just want it all to end; I want the pain to go away. _His unspoken words reach me easily, as I start pulling instruments out of my bag. Conner had once been a young, life- loving kid; we'd had history class together, and he needed extra help. I don't know why I agreed to help him; normally, my siblings and I would keep to ourselves. However, there was something about Conner I felt could be a friend.

"Vampire." He whispers accusingly as I check his temperature.

"I'll not harm you Conner," I whisper, as I continue my test, before moving on to those around him.

"He's dead isn't he?" Conner questions when I stop next to a young man next to him. "He has been so quiet." I sadly nod my head as I cover the young man with a nearby thin blanket that looks more like a rag. "His name was Nathaniel. Are we going to die, too?"

They are all so sick, and it didn't take long to figure out what made them like this. A combination of malnutrition, over work, and rotten food has caused this. Something that would not happen if they could shift and heal.

I won't be leaving here without Paul or Embry, but what am I supposed to do about these others? Conner had been a friend; can I really just leave him here?

Searching the contents of my bag, I'm surprised when my hand wraps around a file of my newest experiment. With Alice's help, I've been working on a drug that will temporarily override the shifter's chip and give them back their strength.

As I pull it out, I notice my annoying, sometimes all-knowing sister has attached a note to it.

-They will work. A

After reading her note, I search my bag and come up with six more vials of the drug; one for each of the shifters, not including Paul.

_Hmm… what's taking this doctor so long? Maybe I should go down and have a look. No, I'll wait fifteen more minutes, I'm sure the dogs are just being difficult or something. _

Mr. Summers thoughts reach me as I quickly make up my mind. I hurry to Conner's side.

"Conner, there's not much time. This drug I have will make you feel better, will give you and your brothers enough strength to shift and heal and get out of here. But you should know I've not tested it; I can't guarantee that it will work."

I do my best to explain this quickly to Conner, his glossy eyes looking at me with hardly any life left in them.

"Do it," Conner whispers, the old him showing through his eyes as he prepares to take the drug.

"Once I leave, give it to the others. Wait for Summers to check on you, and take care of him as fast as you can. Then run, stay in California and hide. This should be of some help to you guys once you leave here," I say quickly and quietly as I hand him a wad of cash, before sticking the needle into his arm.

I watch long enough to notice some strength returning to him before walking to Paul and picking up his barely breathing body.

"Oh Doctor, I was just coming to checking on you. How did it go?" Mr. Summers asks as I walk out of the room. _Hmm looks like he's picked a dog. Good, maybe then I won't have to pay him much for the trip. _

"Why don't we go to your study and discuss things?" I say. Embry is peaking around the corner from us, his eyes not daring to leave Paul's body in my arms.

"Yes, well, this way."

I follow him, counting the seconds until I can get out of here.

"I've given the shifters something to help heal them. You'll need to check on them in a bit and let me know if the medicine has taken affect. Now we need to discuss payment."

He gives me a sneer, as his thoughts turn to not wanting to spend any more money on the shifters.

"I see you've picked one out, so his cost will just be deducted from your pay, yes?"

I have to keep myself in check as I start to shake. I hate this part, the talking about shifters as objects and the price they are worth.

"Yes, I have. He just the one I've been looking for. I also wanted to talk more about a trade; I'm not interested in your money. But the pup earlier, I think his addition to this one will cover any cost you owe me."

If I were human, I would be holding my breath as I wait for him to agree to let me take Paul and Embry off his hands.

"Well, that sounds fair. Let's go find that boy, and then you can just be on your way."

I follow him back out of the room, not surprised Embry is standing right outside the door, the smell of fear rolling off of him.

"Oh good, we found you," Mr. Summers says, as he stops in front of Embry. "You boy, you and this other dog are going with the good doctor now. Good luck."

He finishes off with an evil laugh as he wordlessly leads us to the door. Finally, we are able to get out of here.

As I drive off in my rented car, I make the decision to drive back with the shifters rather than take them on a plane. It will be a long drive, but maybe I'll be able to gain some of their trust while we travel.

Our drive is quiet as the sun sinks down and darkness comes. I'm sure by now Conner and the others have gotten away, or at least I need to have hope the plan worked.

After I'm sure we're far enough away, I pull into a cheap Motel 6 and rent a room. I need to get some fluids into the dehydrated shifters and give them a check. Paul is near catatonic. His mind doesn't even comprehend where he is or that he's out of that dungeon-like hole Summers has been keeping him in.

Embry, however, is well aware what's going on, and his anxiety has been building since I took them out of that house. His mind is racing a mile a minute, so that even I'm having trouble keeping up.

"My name is Edward Cullen, I'm a friend. Sam and I have been looking for you for a while now." I explain to Embry as I lay Paul on one of the beds. "Why don't we get Paul cleaned up some, and then I'll explain some more."

The mention of Sam has Embry calming some. The wolves are all connected and a family, but their Alpha means safety to them. Together, Embry and I clean Paul, before ordering food for them both. It's only after Embry falls asleep next to Paul, who's still out of it, that I walk out the door, not wanting them to overhear my call.

"Hello?" Sam says, answering the cell phone I left him.

"Sam, found two more, Embry and Paul."

I go on to explain their condition, telling him I'm sure Paul will be fine after a few days, and that we'll be driving back in a day or so. After all his questions about his brothers are answered, he tells me about an invitation I've received, that he just had to open.

"I've heard of this Ball-slash-Auction, Edward. I think we need to go. What if one of my brothers are in that auction?"

This ball is held every three months; I get invited maybe two times a year and have never gone. They are full of snooty vampires, all dressed in nice clothes, many with leashes attached to an unfortunate shifter, like a dog. If you accept their invitation, you're asked to bring a "pet", who must stay on a leash the entire night. It's not something I'm a fan of, but I can tell by Sam's tone that he's made up his mind about going.

"When is it, Sam?" I ask, defeated. I can't deny Sam going, when some of his brothers are still out there.

"Just a few weeks away, it's held on Christmas Eve."

We talk a bit more about Paul and Embry before hanging up.

**Jasper POV- **

The door to my "room" slams open, causing me to jump. I had been at my sink attempting to clean myself when my master comes storming in.

"Good, the cat is still alive. Follow." He sneers, his command making me start to shake. While we left our rooms to "eat", there weren't often many times the master would have us follow him out of our room. I've seen others follow the mater out and never return.

I remember to keep my head down as I follow the master down a hall I've never been to. We go through a door I'm terrified to walk through. Once I see what's inside, I can't stop my shaking.

"So this is the cat?" The man sneers. I've never met the trainer, but I've heard about him from some of the other shifters here. Their description perfectly matches him; the mean, overbearing, and cruel man. "Well, he'll need plenty of training. But don't worry, Sir, I can provide that and insure you get top buck for the little pussy-cat at the auctions."

The auctions. I've heard of them, but never thought I'd be in one. I had been given to my master right after being caught. All I've known of this world between shifter and vampire now is what other shifters have been able to tell me. Some claim not all vampires are horrible. While they are still blood sucking leeches and can't be trusted, not all of them use our bodies for their pleasure, and that is something I'd be thankful for. I can handle working all day and all night if I have to, but to be raped again and again with no preparation or care for my well-being is taking its toll. Not many last long in this whore house.

"We only have about three weeks, but he'll be ready, Sir. I promise."

With that, my master leaves me in the hands of the trainer. The next three weeks will be hell, but if I survive it, maybe I'll be bought by a master not as cruel. I can only hope.

**AN: SO SO Sorry about the long wait for this update. Shit kind of hit the fan and everything got pushed to the back burner. I will be continuing to write this story, but I can't promise when it will be updated. I have 3 classes, my cousin's wife just passed away, and my mom got diagnosed with breast cancer about 5 weeks ago and will be going in for surgery on the 20****th**** of December. Things will get rougher before they slow down. I will be finishing this story, but I won't be making any promises when the next chapter will be posted. So sorry, thanks for sticking with me, if any of you are still out there. SO most can probably guess, BUT our boys will be meeting in the next chapter, promise! :) Please review and let me know what you think. **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I own nothing… ****Huge thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! Thank you to everyone who reviewed…**

**Unusual Circumstances**

**Edward POV- **

It's been over two weeks since bringing Paul and Embry home. They've settled in easily, once they calmed down enough to let me talk and tell them that I have been working with Sam. Paul is just now starting to get over being sick, and able to walk around. A week ago, with the help of Alice, I set up a small auto store on the property, since the one Sam built years ago was torn down before we got here.

While it's not necessary for the shifters to work in order to pay their way, it is what they want. For some reason, I've grown a mighty big soft spot for the shifters, especially young Seth, who claimed he'd go crazy if he didn't get back under a car, asap. Not being able to deny the young, fun-loving kid, I built the auto shop the very next day and had it stocked with the best equipment I could get my hands on. Sadly, with the vampires keeping eyes on things, we can't use Sam's Shop as the name, because we can't afford to get caught living the way we are. Most vampires would sneer at the fact I'm treating them as equals.

We've heard nothing about Conner, but I didn't expect to.

"Edward, are you almost ready to go?" Sam asks, peaking his head into my room. It's the day before the Ball, a ball I promised Sam we would go to, and have been unable to talk him into not attending.

"As ready as I'm going to be," I mumble as I grab my bag and head out.

We have gone over with the rest of the shifters what to do while we are gone, and made sure Alice will be around if they need anything.

Sam is not happy having to leave his pack, but he has stayed insistent he needs to go to this ball.

"Now Ed, you better be careful with my baby, you hear me?" Alice rambles on as she hands me the keys to her new Nissan Juke. We agree the Juke will be more comfortable for Sam and anyone we get at the ball, since they are not allowed to sit in seats and must either sit in the floor or trunk space of an SUV.

"Edward, I don't understand why we'll be staying in a hotel room when this ball is only a few hours from home. Why don't we just drive straight there that day?" Sam questions me as I drive.

"There are things we must do and discuss before getting there, and I don't want the pack around for it."

I can hear Sam's thoughts pick up as he yearns to ask more, but thankfully he doesn't. This is not a conversation I'm looking forward to having, though I'm sure it won't come as a big surprise to Sam. He was the one to read the letter.

After checking into the motel, I lead Sam into our room, not looking forward to the conversation we're about to have.

"Edward, I know something's up, just go ahead and spill," Sam finally says, irritation seeping into his voice.

"You read the entire letter, right, Sam? You understand in what condition you will have to go to this ball in?" I question hating having to do this. Slowly, I open my bag, pulling out the things we'll need.

"You're talking about the part that any shifter who goes must be on a leash?" While Sam attempts to stay strong, I can see him start to shake. As an Alpha, he won't like the idea of being back on a leash, lead around like some kind of animal. "Edward, it's worth it to me. It's not like I'm going to be with just anyone. You're not cruel. I also know you don't want to hurt us."

Sam's trust in me makes me smile. He's come a long way from the scared, hurt shifter I first met.

"You understand you'll have to stay on a leash, you will have to walk two steps behind me, and kneel at my feet the moment I stop walking. Your head will have to stay lowered, your gaze never leaving the floor. If any guest at the ball thinks you deserve a punishment, they have the right to do so, and there will be nothing I can do to stop them." The ball is now in Sam's court. If he truly wants to put himself through this, I will allow it.

"I understand, Edward. I don't know what it is, but I feel as if I have to go."

I simply nod my head as I tell him to eat something and get some sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day for the both of us.

**Jasper POV- **

The Trainer truly lives up to his reputation. He's cruel, endlessly demanding I follow his orders perfectly. In the weeks he's had me, he has trained me to cook and clean anything my master may require of me, how to do yard work the way he wants it done, and the proper way to do the laundry. Also, how to please my master better in the bedroom. Guess it's not enough to be raped, but many masters want an obedient partner who will do whatever their sick fantasy is and not just be a hole that lays there.

"Wake up!" The Trainer's voice booms through my closet-sized room. Obediently, I sit up, never daring to lift my eyes as I wait for his orders. "Wish I had time enough for one last training session with you, but unfortunately we are late. Hurry up and get washed. Don't take too long or I'll have to come in there and help."

I move as fast as my poor, abused body allows. The trainer "helping" with anything is always bad. I've learned in the few weeks I've been here that it's best just to keep your head down and follow orders. Maybe when I finally get sold, I'll be able to just end my pathetic existence. While I have hoped that my brother and pride would find and rescue me, it is now becoming apparent that they won't be able to find me. Continuing on will just bring more pain.

I shower quickly in the ice cold water and soon enough I am clean, dry, and waiting for the Trainer to fetch me.

"Good boy, put these on," he says as he enters to see me waiting for him. I pull on the small shorts that really won't leave much to the imagination. But they are better than nothing, I guess.

Silently, I allow him to lead me out of the house on a leash as we head for the auction.

"You, boy, will remember your training or things will not go well for you. I'm not above punishing you before everybody on that auction block," the Trainer sneers at me.

I bite my tongue knowing there is nothing I can say, since he hasn't given me permission to speak. What kind of messed up world is this that I not only need permission from a master to speak, eat, sleep, wash myself, and everything else, but that I obeyed just like the dog they treated me as. I don't even like dogs; we've never really gotten along. Though, a few of the shifters in the pack I was visiting per my brother's request did become friendly, I still will never turn my back on a wolf.

I lose track of the time as the drive seems to take hours. Yet all too soon, we stop and I am being lead out and into a huge mansion. I ignore everything and everyone around us as the Trainer leads me.

_This is it. It's almost over. All I have to do is follow his directions perfectly for a few more minutes, and then I will be sold off. Maybe then I will be given the chance to off myself. _

"Next we have a young male feline," a man's voice says as I am ushered onto the stage. I stand with my legs slightly apart, my hands behind my back, and my head bowed. I am determined not to give the Trainer any reason to punish me in these last few minutes I am in his possession.

"Let's start the bidding at $500."

"$500 here." A gruff male voice says, starting the bidding.

"600…. 700…. 800…" I listen carefully as the price rises. The voices change from the gruff, unfriendly male voice, a high-pitched female voice, and a male's voice that almost sound like liquid honey, though I'm sure it was just a ruse.

"2,000… 2,300… 3,000…" The price just keeps going, the three voices staying the same, none of them willing to give in. Suddenly, the air comes on, and I almost make the mistake of moving and lifting my head when I recognize the scent of my mate. He's in this room with me, and I'll never get to meet him.

"4,000… 4,500…. 6,000." I wait for the bids to continue after honey voice, but they don't. Before I realize it, the auctioneer is saying sold and I am being lead off the stage and away from the heavenly scent of my mate, into a small holding room to await the arrival of my new master.

**AN: SO, love it, hate it? Let me know. Yes, I just had to stop it there. **

**So my mom had her surgery the Thursday before Christmas, she is doing alright, but is still really sore and needing lots of help.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: I own nothing… Thank you to everyone who reviewed! This is just a small peak at what happened to Conner and the gang once Edward left. FYI there are two new chapters going up today ;)**

**Changes**

**Conner POV- **

I'm still reeling from the fact that Edward is a vampire. He injects me with one of his vials, and it starts to work instantly. Quickly, I feel strength entering my body, and finally, after I don't know how long, I'm able to feel my wolf.

I watch as he picks up a prickly tempered wolf named Paul. He hadn't been a part of my pack, and I'm not even sure how he ended up here. The moment Edward leaves, I move to inject my brothers, finishing just as the door swings open.

"Well look at that, you lazy…." I tune him out as my brothers and I circle him, cutting off his escape. This needs to be done quickly, just as Edward said. Kill the vamp, and then get all of us far away from here.

"Now!" I order, my pack shifting with me as we immediately tear into the vile evil man. He has almost no chance to defend himself as we overpower him, destroying him quickly. The taste of his blood makes my wolf howl with joy at his revenge. This creature who's caused me so much pain is now dead, and my brothers are safe.

I don't bother shifting back as I lead us out of the "sick room" we were in, and over to the others. There had been nineteen of us in this hell hole. With Paul gone and the three dead, that leaves the seven of us and eight others yet to get sick.

"He's dead," I say, shifting back to speak with our other brothers. I freeze when I notice only seven are there; Embry the gentle giant is missing. "Where's Embry?" I growl, angry another of our friends may be dead.

"That vampire doc took him, along with Paul," Chris answers with a tear in his eye.

"They'll be fine then. There's not much time to explain, but the doctor helped us. Now we need to hurry, find food, clothing, and anything we'll need before we leave. We need to get out of here before someone realizes what happened."

We're all in a flurry of movement as we pack everything we can think of. We're almost out the door when I realize I've left Edward's money inside. "I'll be right back to run South. We'll be staying here in California. I'll be right behind you."

Once we are all safe in a hotel room for the night, I explain to everyone what happened. I inform them the shot we took has worn off, but now that we're free, we can dig the disgusting thing out of us that stops us from shifting.

Our Alpha and beta have both been killed. As the alpha's brother, I guess it will be up to me to protect us, find us a home, and figure out where we'll go from here.

"Found some vending machine food," Chris says as he enters the room with his arms full of snacks. "So Connor, I was wondering why you said Embry and Paul will be fine. I get that the vamp helped us, but he took them. How do we know he's not hurting them?"

"I know it's hard to believe after what the vampires have done to us, but I trust Edward. He went to school with me for a while. Don't you guys remember the Cullen family? The father was a doctor who gave free medical attention to the humans in town. I know that was way before any of us shifted so we didn't know what they were, but I think that he is a good man."

None of my brothers look convinced, but the arrival of room service stops any argument from forming, for now at least.

We can't afford to be at each other's throats, not with the world today. We need to not just pull together to become strong, but find others for allies.

"So, what now? We can't just all live in this hotel room. I mean, there's fourteen of us-we really shouldn't even all be in one room. We don't even have any money. We looked all through that house before leaving and there was only a couple hundred in cash," Josh says. Josh is always the thinker in the group. While most of us run on instinct to fix the here and now, he worries about what will happen in the future.

"We also have the cash Edward handed me. I haven't counted it yet, but it feels like a couple hundred, maybe even a thousand. That should hold us over for a while if we are careful." I unceremoniously toss the wad of bills on the coffee table in front of me before standing. "I'm going to get a shower in before that shot wears off. Edward warned we'll go back to being sick and will have to just watch what we eat and let our bodies fight off the sickness, once we get this chip thing removed."

The warm water of the shower feels good on my body as I wash everything that happened to me in that house away. All too soon, I step out of the shower, needing to leave some hot water for my brothers.

"Conner, you're wrong about the cash," Angelo, or AJ, says the moment I step out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel. "There's a couple thousand in that wad of cash the doc gave you."

I'm almost positive my jaw drops to the ground as I realize every bill is a hundred. No smaller bills wrapped with a hundred like I assumed.

"Well then, we should be making arrangements for our future. I know there use to be a pride of cat shifters in California. We may just need to look for them," I say with a smile.

As I climb into one of the four king size beds in our hotel room, I feel the sickness sinking back into my body. "For now we'll stay here."

**AN: Just a sneak at what happened with Conner. Please let me know what you think about Connor, and then go on to the next ch for some more Jasper/Edward ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: I own nothing… Huge thanks to my beta harrytwifan and pre-reader DelphiusFanFic! Thank you to everyone who reviewed…**

**Edward POV- **

As Sam and I enter the ballroom, I do my best to block the thoughts of those in attendance, especially the shifters.

"Dr. Edward, so nice to see you again," Adam says as he approaches me, a bright smile on his face. "I was so sorry to hear about Carlisle and Esme. Are you doing well?"

Mr. Adam Green has been what we call an acquaintance. He's helped us attain new identities every few years. Not a bad man, but still not a true friend.

"I am well. The loss of Carlisle and Esme still weighs heavy on my mind, but you know what happens to those who break the law. I told them not to, but you remember Carlisle. He just doesn't want to listen to others."

I hate spilling these lies, but it also makes it easy for me to blend in with the others if they don't know I agree with Carlisle being angry about the shifter situation.

I grudgingly mingle and make polite conversation with the crowd, all the while having to remind myself I'm here for Sam. I'm planning only to stay long enough for the auction, before heading home. No complications, no problems.

For what seems like hours later, after having to join in multiple conversations about "pets" and how I got ahold of an Alpha, the auction starts.

Standing in the back, I remind Sam to keep his head down as the first shifter is brought onto the stage, quickly followed by another, and another.

"Next we have a young male feline," the announcer says as the most beautiful sent enters the room.

_Edward?_ Sam's thoughts question when I fist my hands, causing me to pull the leash.

_My mate. _I seethe as I join the bidding, mesmerized by the beautiful man standing on stage. Even with his too thin frame, he's perfect to me. I've waited a long time to find my mate, only to find him here in an auction of all places.

"2,000… 2,300… 3,000…" I'm determined to free my mate, no matter the cost. This young man, my mate, should never wear a collar, nor should anyone else ever touch him.

"4,000… 4,500…. 4,700…" After what seems like ages, I get tired of this game and decide to raise the stakes.

"6,000" I say, thankful I am keeping my composure and not giving anything away to the other vampires in the room.

"Going once, going twice, sold! Bring the next one up."

And like that, my beautiful cat is lead off the stage and into a holding room, until the end of the auction and payment is received.

I desperately want to run to the room, grab my mate, and take him far away from this place, but I can't. All "buyers" have to wait until the end of the auction to collect their new _pets_. When my mate was on the stage, I attempted to listen to his thoughts. Unsurprisingly, I only caught a few words. Normally a vampire's mate is immune to our extra power, so being unable to hear his thoughts, while unsettling, is not too surprising.

We watch three more with nothing interesting happening.

_Quil._ Sam's thought betray him the moment before his body starts to move.

_Sam, don't._ I hiss, grabbing onto him before anyone can notice his movement. Quil is one of four we are still searching for from Sam's pack.

"400…450…500…"

"600" I say, entering the bidding as quickly as I can.

_I don't know how I knew, but I'm glad I convinced you we had to come. _Sam says as Quil is lead off of the stage and into the same room as my beautiful mate. My cat is waiting.

_Relax, Sam, we can't just go running in there, then leave. It will cause talk. I have to stay a while and socialize. Quil is safe; no one will be bothering him._ I say to Sam as I join in boring talk about life as a vampire and the "worthless" shifters.

"Edward, you leaving so soon?" a sugary sweet voice says as I walk by.

"Tanya, hello. I didn't know you were here," I say, faking a smile as I stop and turn to her.

"It's been a while. I was sorry to hear about the Doctor and his wife. But really, they should have known better than to go against…" I tune her out as my phone rings.

"If you'll excuse me, Tanya. It was nice seeing you again, but my sister is calling and, well, you know how sisters can be," I say, thankful for a reason to leave.

"Edward, I need you to come home now," Alice says, not giving me time to even say hello before she is disconnecting the call.

_Edward?_ Sam questions as I receive a text from Alice.

'_I saw you needed an out. Get your mate and Quil and come home. ;)' -Alice_

_You have to love Alice; she's given us the out to leave. Since Tanya and a few standing close could hear her telling me she needed me, no one here can blame me for leaving early for my sister._ I say to Sam as I walk over to the auctioneer to pay him, so we can finally be on our way. 

**Jasper POV-**

It feels like the wolf and I have been in the small holding room for hours, but as the sounds of footsteps approaching and our door being unlocked reaches my ears, I'm afraid it hasn't felt long enough. I am about to meet my new master, the man with the kind-sounding voice, that will decide my life for the foreseeable future.

"Dr. Cullen, it was lovely doing business with you. Take your time looking them over. We do have a quality guarantee on our merchandise, after all," the auctioneer says as the sweetest smell reaches me.

_My mate. The tantalizing aroma of my mate is coming from this vampire._ I can't help as a single tear rolls down my face. _Now I don't even have the hope of finding a kind, loving mate. My mate is the vampire who's now my master._

My mind shuts down as I must let go of my biggest dream of finding my mate and being loved, even in this cruel world. Obediently, I follow my new master out, noticing he has come with a wolf-an Alpha by the smell of him. Great. Not only am I stuck with a vampire mate, but also in a house with two wolves. Wolves that often become violent and unpredictable after being caged for too long. Just like Jason, one of the wolves from the whore house. He, as the favorite, had the small freedom of being able to do whatever he wanted to the rest of us. Sometimes, he could be as cruel as a vampire. He as an Alpha wolf

The car we are lead to is nice and big, allowing the three of us to "sit" on the floor easily enough.

_My mate has such a beautiful voice. _I can't help but think as I listen while he explains that we have a long drive and the three of us may want to get some rest.

"Sam, we're far enough way you can unlock those damn collars. And while you're at it, get some blankets and food out. I think it will be better if we just head straight home."

It feels strange as Sam obeys our Master, removing our collars and grabbing food and blankets. I rip open a bag of chips and start to eat before the vampire can change his mind, or worse, the Alpha takes it from me.

_Why would a vampire remove the collars of his slaves? What is this Master's deal, acting almost humane to us? Not that I am complaining about his kindness; it's been awhile since I've had enough substance__ to be considered food. What would this man want with slaves? _And most importantly, _what will be expected of me? His $6,000 purchase. _

"What's your name?" Sam asks suddenly, pulling me out of my rambling thoughts. I look between him and our master driving, who can definitely hear us if we talk.

"You may talk, Jasper; no one will harm you ever again. I'm Edward, by the way."

I forget myself for a moment as our eyes meet in the rearview mirror. My mate's beautiful colored eyes remind me of liquid gold, such a strange color, draw me in.

"Nice to meet you, Jasper. I'm Sam, and this is Quil. We're from the same pack," the alpha wolf says, not realizing what has drawn my attention. A slight blush colors my cheeks as I remember myself and drop my eyes. _Great, now my new master has a reason to punish me the moment we get back to his place. _

"Um, yeah, nice to meet you," I mumble as I let my mind wander.

_Edward, such a beautiful name. A strong name. If I remember correctly, it means either guardian, if you want to go off the American meaning, or strong as a boar, if you take the English meaning. My mom loved looking up different names and their meanings, and she passed that fascination down to me. He has golden eyes, what could that mean? I've only ever seen bright red, or black if they haven't fed. But gold? What would cause him to have golden eyes? _

I let my mind wander as time slowly passes. I'm vaguely aware of the conversation happening around me between the two shifters and occasionally the vampire, Edward.

I must have drifted to sleep, because next thing I know someone is calling my name and telling me to wake up. It takes me a few minutes to open my eyes, but when I do, I am shocked to see golden eyes looking into mine.

_My mate. _The thought alone makes me smile. Until I realize who I am and who he is.

"Hello, Jasper. Would you like to come into the house?" His velvety smooth voice runs over me like fresh water, calming me.

_Why does life have to be so complicated? In a perfect world, we would be two humans meeting randomly in school or at the library. Maybe we would have some awkward conversation about the upcoming school dance, or about whichever book I happened to be reading that day. _

_But it's not a perfect world. In this world, and in reality, I am a shifter, therefor a slave. And my mate, the man I would dream about meeting one day, the hope of that man that kept me sane while in that hell hole... That one bright spot of my future is a vampire and my master. Yeah, life can't get any worst now, can it? _

I ignore all the shifters in the house as I follow the master up some stairs. The house, while nice, isn't as grand as I expected. For someone with so much money, you would think he'd have, I don't know, something grander. But no, this place seems warm, cozy, and even welcoming.

"…so you'll have to sleep in here until we can get you your own." I didn't even realize he was talking, until I'm lead into what must be his room. "There are clean towels in the cabinet. Feel free to use the shower and anything you can find in the bathroom or in this room."

The tension in the room seems to get worse as my master stands there looking at me, waiting for me to…. I'm actually not sure what he expects of me now. The Trainer would have ordered me to pleasure him by now, and my master before him was unable to go five minutes before he had to hit, kick, smack, or rape me, or any other of his slaves. But now, here I have this beautiful vampire just standing there waiting for me to either do or say something. Unpredictable. I hate when things are unpredictable like this. How am I supposed to act? Crap, I just wish he'd leave me alone and I can get more sleep. Maybe then I will be able to think straight and make sense of this vampire's strange behavior.

"Well, I'll leave you to it. You're free to come and go from this room as you please, so if you need anything, just let me know," my master says as if reading my mind. "Seth said dinner will be ready in a few minutes; I'll bring something up for you when it is. I'm sure you want to be alone."

"Ok, Master." I say, knowing I need to say something in reply, just not sure what.

He leaves without another word and I find myself alone.

**Edward POV-**

For a vampire, and even for a shifter, finding our mate should be the happiest day of our life. We search our entire existence for that one person who is our other half. I've searched over 90 years for my mate, and now to find him and learn that he doesn't want me? It is almost too much to take.

I'm so lost in thought as I get a bowl of stew for Jasper, Seth's voice startles me when he yells my name.

"Oh, sorry, Seth. I was just thinking," I say, looking at the young shifter.

"I was just wondering how Jasper is. Will stew be good for him? Should I make him something else? He's not going to be joining us? What kind of feline is he? Sam says he's a cat, but I know there are not house cats. So he must be a wild cat, like from the jungle or something." Seth's rambling has me laughing as I finish preparing a tray for Jasper.

"The stew is perfect, Seth. You're one of the best cooks we have in this house. Jasper's not up for joining us for meals at the moment, but I'm sure he will get over that soon. Yes, he is a feline; a lion shifter, to be more exact. I'm going to get this to Jasper, and then see how Quil is doing." I smile at Seth as I pick up the tray and head upstairs.

**AN: Thank you for reading. **


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